When 8-year-old Jimmy asked for a set of LEGO building blocks and his sister Ana, 5, requested a new doll to play with for the holidays their parents, unfortunately, did not have the funds to buy the toys for the two youngsters leaving them very sad. But not for long.
Thanks to the special non-profit agency Project Access both the children were able to have their wishes fulfilled through its “Spreading the Joy” annual toy drive hosted by Property Benefit Services which donated their toys and hundreds more to others via Project Access based in Orange, CA.
Mission and More
The mission of Project Access is serving as a leading provider of “vital on-site health, education, and employment services to families, children, and seniors living in affordable housing communities.” It has locations Southern California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
Additionally, Project Access envisions that all residents of affordable housing communities can achieve self-sufficiency and maximize their full potential. It has apartment communities, as well as family resource centers, and senior centers coast to coast.
“We are more than happy and very honored to help kids everywhere who need a little help be gifted the toys they wish for when their families cannot provide for them during the holiday season,” – Prosperity Benefit Services.
Unique Programs
Programs at Project Access are tailored to meet the needs of diverse housing communities to deliver quality services to the children, families, and seniors it serves including:
Age ranges served:
51% children age 18 and under
44% of adults age 19 to 54
5% over age 55
Ethnic backgrounds served:
Hispanic/Latino (38%)
African American (8%)
Asian American (7%)
Caucasian (6%)
Multi-Racial/Other (4%)
Undisclosed/Unknown (37%)
Project Access happily helps families by employing an onsite Resident Service Coordinator at each family and senior resource center to offer such things as learning about proper eating habits and educating youth, among other topics.
For example, did you know 48.8 million Americans (including 16.2 million children) live in households that lack the means to get enough food on a regular basis? This is according to the nonprofit which helps “provide education to increase knowledge of proper nutrition, preventative services, and access to health resources to improve residents’ health through health and nutrition education, supplemental food programs, health fairs, preventive services, and health insurance assistance.
Project Access also helps families to become economically stable through its system and says on its website that “a minimum wage worker would have to work 130 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom unit at fair market rent in California.” However, with its helps Project Access aids residents to attain or retain employment, improve their knowledge on saving money, and address the digital divide by increasing access to technology. It does so through financial literacy and education, employment assistance, computer lab access, and technology training, Second Language Acquisition, GED and vocational training preparation, the website states.
And speaking of the youth Project Access helps educate them in several ways. On its website, it reports “low-income youth are five times more likely to drop out of school,” but again it steps in and is helping “fight this by preparing children for kindergarten, increases academic achievement and improves self-esteem and study habits.” Project Access helps educate the young through school readiness for 3-to-5-year-olds, After-School programs, teen leadership programs, college and career prep.
Between the many successful annual toy drives and its other important programs Project Access is helping those in need have better and brighter days every day.
